Rockingham Castle

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'' Rockingham Castle Gatehouse

Rockingham Castle is a former royal castle and a hunting lodge built in Rockingham Forest , about 1.6 km north of the center of Corby in the English county of Northamptonshire .

history

11th - 14th centuries

The area on which the castle was built was already in use in the Iron Age , during the Roman occupation and by the invading Anglo-Saxons . The Normans and the other medieval rulers also used the property because the elevated position offers a wide view of the Welland valley from a point that can be easily defended.

William the Conqueror ordered a wooden moth to be built in Rockingham in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England . Within three decades, his successor, Wilhelm II , had it replaced with a stone castle. A stone donjon was added to the large motte and the outer bailey was framed by a curtain wall. During the entire reign of the Normans and the House of Plantagenet , the castle served as a retreat for the respective king. The nearby Rockingham Forest was particularly good for hunting wild boar and deer .

In 1270 Heinrich III. Strengthen the castle by adding a double gatehouse with D-shaped towers. But less than 100 years later, Edward III. the last royal visitor while the castle was in the hands of the crown.

15th - 21st century

Ground plan of the gatehouse

At the end of the 15th century, Rockingham Castle was in ruins. Sir Edward Watson , founder of the Watsons family dynasty, was given the castle as a fief by Henry VIII . Parts of the castle were in a row by mansion in Tudor style replaced with gardens. The former royal castle became a hunting lodge for the nobles. Watson's grandson, Lewis Watson , obtained the exemption of the castle and lands from the Crown. Watson was subsequently knighted, later made a baronet and finally a baron .

In the 1640s, during the English Civil War , Rockingham Castle was garrisoned and loyal to King Charles I. There have been several minor skirmishes with the Roundhead forces . In 1643 Rockingham Castle was captured by the General of the Parliamentarians, Henry Gray, 1st Earl of Stamford , and Lewis Watson was forced to leave the castle for a period of time. The remaining walls were razed in 1646 . At the end of the 17th century and in the 18th century, Rockingham Castle was again used as a private residence.

Lewis Watson's grandson, also a Lewis , was named Earl of Rockingham in 1714. This title of nobility expired with the death of the 3rd Baron in 1746. Then the property fell to his cousin, Thomas Watson-Wentworth , who was appointed 1st Marquess of Rockingham that same year. When Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham , died in 1782, the property, along with others, fell to his sister's son, William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam . Further restoration work was carried out on the castle at the end of the 19th century.

Today the castle is still the private home of the Saunders-Watson family.

Location

At Rockingham Castle

It is often said that Rockingham Castle is in Leicestershire . This error stems from the fact that Rockingham Castle has a postal address from Market Harborough, although it is directly connected to the town of Corby in Northamptonshire. The village of Rockingham is part of the Corby Borough Council .

The castle is located above the villages of Rockingham and Caldecott and offers a good overview of the Welland valley. Although it is in private hands, it is open to the public on certain days.

Rockingham Castle was a popular abode of Charles Dickens , a great friend of Richard and Lavinia Watson , ancestors of the current owners. The castle is believed to have been the inspiration for Chesney Wold in one of his greatest works, '' Bleak House ''.

Rockingham Castle is named after the village of Rockingham. Also, the Rockingham Forest got its name in the time of William the Conqueror because of the importance of a Royal retreat to the village.

A cricket pitch is on the castle grounds. This is where the Old Eastonians Cricket Club resides .

In film and television

Rockingham Castle was the setting for the BBC -Historiendrama By the Sword Devided playing in the English Civil War. In the television series, Arnescote Castle was the home of the royalist Lacey family . Rockingham Castle also appeared in the movie Top Secret! in which Val Kilmer played the lead role.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Details and description of Rockingham Castle in Peter Furtado, Candida Geddes, Nathaniel Harris, Hazel Harrison, Paul Pettit: Guide to Castles in Britain . Hamlyn - Ordnance Survey, 1987. ISBN 978-0-600558-69-9 .
  2. ↑ Reference to Sir Edward Watson's ownership and his alterations in Peter Furtado, Candida Geddes, Nathaniel Harris, Hazel Harrison, Paul Pettit: Guide to Castles in Britain . Hamlyn - Ordnance Survey, 1987. ISBN 978-0-600558-69-9 .
  3. ↑ Rockingham Castle - Tudors . Rockingham Castle. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  4. ↑ George Edward Cokayne Complete Baronetage, Vol. 1 1900 . Retrieved June 29, 2015.

literature

Web links

Commons : Rockingham Castle  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 52 ° 30 ′ 46.4 "  N , 0 ° 43 ′ 26.4"  W.